Cardiff Met students inspired by no nonsense Nev!

​A group of Cardiff Metropolitan University students were left suitably inspired following a guest lecture by BBC's 'The Call Centre' star, Nev Wilshire.

Organised by the university's Centre for Student Entrepreneurship – which helps support students who are looking to start their own businesses and develop their entrepreneurial skills - the talk attracted over 100 students, keen to hear about Nev's own path to success.

In a no holds barred account, Nev – now a familiar face to millions thanks to the hugely popular fly on the wall show featuring his company, Save Britain Money - opened up about the highs, and also lows of a thirty-year career that has culminated in his role as CEO of the second best place to work in the UK, according to last year's Sunday Times Best Companies to Work for Poll.

Commenting on his reasons for wanting to share his inspirational story with this group of budding entrepreneurs, Nev said:

"I know that my leadership style of singing, arm wrestling and sometimes throwing things might not be for everyone, but I'm hoping my journey to business success was of interest to the students at Cardiff Met – some of whom are set to shape the future of business in this country.

"It's a well-documented fact that I became a millionaire in my twenties, only to lose everything in my thirties, before finding success again in my forties. This rollercoaster ride has given me a great insight into what's really needed to succeed and if the students I spoke to at Cardiff Met remember anything, I hope it's to ignore fear, make bold decisions and that if they're knocked down, to get straight back up again!"

''We were extremely excited to have Nev on board to deliver a motivational talk to students. Nev has a fascinating entrepreneurial story and our students were totally inspired by his no nonsense attitude to making a success of things, even in the toughest of circumstances.''

Students who attended the lecture commented,

Caryl Thomas from Britton Ferry said:

"I already run my own business – Sparkles Cleaning Services in Swansea – so it was particularly useful for me to hear Nev speak about the ups and downs of running your own company and that while things will sometimes go wrong, the important thing is to pick yourself up and get on with it. It's really inspired me to continue working hard to help the business continue to grow."

Ieuan Evans from North Cornelly said:

"It was great to listen to such an experienced businessperson talk about his own career – and as a student, really useful to get this practical advice that isn't just coming straight from a book. Nev's career has certainly been eventful but what I really took from his talk was that he's never given up and I suppose that's the real key to any success. I'd like to run my own business one day so hopefully will be some of what I've learned into practice in the near future!"

Will Collinge from Cornwall said:

"It was great to get a 'inside view' of how a company like Nev's really works and I picked up some really practical tips about what to do and equally, what not to do in order to succeed. I'm currently setting up my own graduate recruitment agency and it was encouraging to hear Nev talk about the risks you sometimes need to take to get ahead – calculated risks but just having the courage to do so."